Data Security and Compliance

NodeZero from Horizon3.ai is a leading-edge penetration test (pentest) product family that can deliver repeated, simultaneous, programmable assessment of your network so you can identify, prioritize, remediate, and verify security weaknesses before threat actors can take advantage of them. Pentests permit you to operate preemptively to keep attackers from stealing data, disturbing operations, or inflicting monetary or reputational loss. (For information about pentesting, refer to Progent's penetration testing expertise.)

NodeZero's Breach and Attack Simulation (BAS) tools can utilize the latest hacking methods by relentlessly pivoting throughout your network and linking discovered weaknesses until a clear attack vector is exposed. NodeZero then benignly exploits the vulnerability as proof of the gap, assesses and ranks the potential damage that might be caused by an actual malicious attack, reports the findings, and provides AI-powered guidance for resolving any problems uncovered. NodeZero's reports highlight systemic issues where implementing a single repair can block several different attack vectors. After you have closed the discovered security gaps, you can run NodeZero's 1-click validation feature to make sure your fixes worked. NodeZero can automatically produce compliance reports required for SOC2, HIPAA, GDPR, and other important compliance requirements.

Progent offers the guidance of a NodeZero Certified Operator to assist you to design and implement comprehensive pentests of your perimeter and your internal network in order to realistically determine your present cybersecurity posture. Progent can assist you to set up and launch NodeZero pentests tailored for your network environment, understand NodeZero reports, and remediate problems based on their potential for damaging your network. Progent can also assist you to develop a cohesive cybersecurity strategy that streamlines management and delivers optimum protection for on-premises, multi-cloud, and perimeter network assets.

Internal and External Penetration Tests
Internal penetration tests with NodeZero assume your network perimeter has been compromised and carry out a pentest of your internal infrastructure to find what security weaknesses may be present that expose your network to serious compromise. To assist you to organize your mitigation activity, the NodeZero dashboard makes it clear which internal vulnerabilities could result in the most havoc to your information system and which ones allow the most attack chains. External penetration testing with NodeZero is cloud-hosted and uses the latest hacker tactics to breach your network perimeter.

Common Security Gaps that PEN Tests Can Help Detect and Fix
Malicious actors tirelessly probe IT environments for vulnerabilities by using an expanding set of tools and procedures. While there are many different kinds of cybersecurity flaws, below are some of the most frequently encountered attack vectors threat actors attempt to exploit:

• Applications that have not had the latest updates and security patches applied
• Code injection flaws that permit malicious actors to insert code or queries in a web application that tricks the application into carrying out malicious instructions or permitting control of critical resources
• Zero-day security gaps in software that neither the target company nor the software vendor are yet aware of and so have not had time to work on a solution
• Authentication issues that make it easier to get inside a system or pretend to be a legitimate user
• Configuration weaknesses that cause gaps in cybersecurity systems like opening risky ports or leaving cloud storage containers exposed to anybody with the correct address
• Known but unpatched operating systems security gaps
• End-of-Life products for which security patches are no longer developed
• SQL Injection (SQLI)
• Easy-to-guess account credentials
• Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
• Insecure Direct Object References
• Improper device configurations
• Stale objects
• Open systems access
• Old methodology cybersecurity deployments instead of modern leading practices
• Failure to implement out-of-band 2FA secured communications (example: Man In The Middle Attacks)

• Phishing Damage Potential Pentest: Estimate the amount of havoc that could be done by an attacker using phished credentials and suggest efficient and effective remediation.
• PCI-DSS Compliance: Perform detailed testing and reporting to show compliance with the PCI Data Security Standard (DSS). PCI-DSS compliance reports can be submitted to auditors.
• Trip Wires: Intelligently deploy honeypots so you can respond quickly to signs of active threats in high-risk areas of your network.
• Kubernetes Testing: Pentest Kubernetes clusters, uncovering issues such as container escapes, RBAC misconfigurations, and hidden exposures.
• Cloud Testing: Uncover identity and access management (IAM) weak points and misconfigurations in Amazon Web Services, Azure/Entra, and Kubernetes.
• Rapid Response: Rapidly react to new threats before they have a chance to cause serious disruption.
• Insider Attacks: Determine the severity of damage a malicious insider could cause.
• Segmentation Pentesting: Reveal your internal attack surface such as IPs, ports, services and apps before launching test exploits.
• AD Password Audit: Expose gaps in your Active Directory password policy, optimize remediation, and generate a prioritized report of risky accounts.

Advantages of Progent's Penetration Testing Services
Progent can provide low-cost external pentesting services on a single-time or periodic basis. NodeZero's autonomous testing technology offers rapid results and provides a comprehensive evaluation of your outward facing security posture. These "ethical hacking" services can provide a number of advantages.

• Compliance with Cyber Insurance Providers: For many cyber insurance companies, regular pentesting is needed to qualify for or retain a policy.
• Uncover Perimeter Vulnerabilities: External pentests help organizations discover vulnerabilities in their external-facing systems, such as websites, servers, and network devices.
• Realistic Attack Simulation: Pentests simulate real-world attack simulations, giving companies a better comprehension of their vulnerability to a multitude of cyber threats.
• Compliance Mandates: Many regulatory standards (e.g., PCI DSS, HIPAA, GDPR) call for periodic security assessments, including external penetration tests. Ignoring these requirements may result in legal and financial consequences.
• Risk Mitigation: Identifying and remediating vulnerabilities early can lower the risk of data breaches, economic losses, and damage to an organization's reputation.
• Third-Party Vendor Risk Assessment: Companies can utilize external penetration tests to assess the cybersecurity of vendors, ensuring that these partners do not introduce vulnerabilities into your organization's supply chain.
• Improved Incident Response: A penetration test can help organizations fine-tune their incident response processes by exposing weaknesses in their ability to detect and react to cybersecurity events.
• Security Awareness: Conducting pentests can improve understanding among employees and stakeholders about the importance of cybersecurity. This can also help educate them on best operational practices.
• Build a Cybersecurity Baseline Assessment: A pentest can create a baseline for security, permitting organizations to compare the effectiveness of security improvements over time.
• Competitive Advantage: Demonstrating a commitment to cybersecurity by means of regular pentesting can help you gain business advantage, assuring clients and partners that their information is safe.
• Cybersecurity Budget Justification: Penetration test reports can provide substantive proof of the necessity of expanded investment in cybersecurity initiatives and technologies.
• Internal Policy Assessment: Companies can assess whether their internal security policies are successful in thwarting external attacks.
• Reducing Attack Surface: By identifying and remediating vulnerabilities exposed by a penetration test, companies can reduce their target surface size and make it more difficult for attackers to compromise their networks.
• Incident Simulation: Companies can launch sophisticated but benign attacks, permitting their security groups to practice dealing with realistic threats in a safe environment.
• Continuous Improvement: Regular external pentests help companies follow their security improvements over time, helping them stay ready to handle the latest threats.
• Legal and Regulatory Protection: In case of a cybersecurity breach, possessing tangible evidence of periodic pentesting efforts can offer a degree of legal and regulatory cover by demonstrating reasonable care in cybersecurity.

Contact Progent for Penetration Testing Consulting
For additional information about Progent's consulting services for NodeZero-based penetration testing, call Progent at 800-993-9400 or visit Contact Progent.

Ransomware 24x7 Hot Line: Call 800-462-8800
Progent's Ransomware 24x7 Hot Line is intended to assist you to complete the time-critical first steps in mitigating a ransomware assault by containing the malware. Progent's remote ransomware expert can help you to locate and isolate breached servers and endpoints and protect undamaged assets from being compromised. If your network has been penetrated by any version of ransomware, act fast. Get help quickly by calling Progent's Ransomware Hot Line at 800-462-8800. For more information, see Progent's Ransomware 24x7 Hot Line.